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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. foot — a measure
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. calf — a young 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