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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. court — of law
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chair — a leader
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rock — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. court — for sport
  11. foot — a measure
  12. degree — an amount
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rock — a stone
  15. court — of a king
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bat — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. degree — from a university

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