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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. club — for golf
  3. file — a tool
  4. swing — music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. file — a document
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cell — in biology
  9. club — a group
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bulb — for light
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. club — for dancing
  22. face — to confront
  23. rash — a series
  24. cell — a phone

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