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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. field — a subject
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. field — for sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. field — farmland
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. foot — a measure

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