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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bound — certain
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — a division
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bound — tied together
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. calf — a young animal

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