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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fall — the season
  6. root — of a word
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. root — the cause
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chest — a box

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