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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. track — a path
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pop — soda
  6. track — a song
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pop — music
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. track — to keep track
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spring — of water
  13. pop — to visit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spring — the season
  16. swing — music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. scale — in music
  21. mug — a face
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  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