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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. track — to keep track
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. track — a song
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. field — for sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. swing — music
  19. deal — to handle
  20. staff — a stick
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — a path
  24. rest — a break

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