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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. swing — in golf
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rest — what's left
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. swing — to play on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. foot — a measure
  12. sharp — clever
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. march — music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rest — a break
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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