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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — a company
  7. band — a ring
  8. firm — steady
  9. swing — music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. swing — to play on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a music group
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. firm — decided
  24. date — the fruit

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