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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rock — a stone
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. staff — employees
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. foot — a measure
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stem — to come from
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cap — of ice
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — music
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cap — a lid
  21. game — a match
  22. cap — a hat
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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