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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ground — the earth
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ground — a position
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. foot — a measure
  16. swing — music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. present — a gift
  20. branch — a division
  21. tube — a container
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. tube — the underground

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