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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ground — crushed
  8. present — a gift
  9. scale — in music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ground — a position
  17. present — the time now
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. scale — size or range
  22. face — to confront
  23. present — there
  24. ground — the earth

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