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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mug — to rob
  3. swing — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fine — all right
  6. tube — the underground
  7. foot — a measure
  8. swing — in golf
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mug — a face
  12. rash — a series
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mug — a cup
  15. roll — a cake
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. key — in music
  20. tube — a container
  21. fine — high quality
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fine — a penalty

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