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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. degree — from a university
  3. drill — army training
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. swing — to play on
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. roll — a list
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. roll — a cake
  16. drill — the tool
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. swing — music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. drill — a practice
  22. degree — an amount
  23. swing — in golf
  24. foot — a measure

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