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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. swing — music
  7. present — there
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mine — for digging
  12. present — a gift
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. track — a path
  15. foot — a measure
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. present — the time now
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mine — an explosive

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