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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  3. swing — to play on
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — wild animals
  7. track — a path
  8. swing — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a song
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. game — a match
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rush — hurry
  17. track — to keep track
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — in music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. game — a kind of play
  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