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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. swing — music
  4. land — a country
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — to play on
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fall — the season
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. land — ground
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — in music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. land — to come down
  23. sharp — clever
  24. key — the most important part

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