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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. swing — music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stock — shares
  11. land — a country
  12. deal — to handle
  13. march — music
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. march — the month
  16. land — to come down
  17. swing — to play on
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stock — goods
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. land — ground
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com