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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — to keep track
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — a series
  15. foot — a measure
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a song
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. track — a path
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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