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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bass — low music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cell — in biology
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bass — the fish
  23. swing — music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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