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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. swing — to play on
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. squash — the sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spell — magic
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stand — to bear
  24. staff — employees

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