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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. swing — in golf
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. foot — a measure
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. degree — an amount
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mate — a friend
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mate — to breed
  21. degree — temperature
  22. swing — to play on
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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