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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. shower — rain
  12. foot — a measure
  13. swing — to play on
  14. capital — money
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. swing — music
  21. shower — to wash
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bear — the 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