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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. club — for golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. drill — a practice
  6. root — the cause
  7. drill — army training
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. drill — the tool
  19. club — for dancing
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. club — a group
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fall — to drop
  24. coach — a trainer

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