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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bound — certain
  3. pop — soda
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pop — music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pop — to visit
  22. swing — music
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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