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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cold — not warm
  4. scale — in music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. swing — music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitch — completely
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. swing — to play on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wax — to grow
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. swing — in golf
  24. safe — out of danger

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