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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. swing — in golf
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — the fish
  7. key — in music
  8. chest — of your body
  9. key — the most important part
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mark — a trace
  14. swing — to play on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. march — the month
  17. key — for a lock
  18. foot — a measure
  19. swing — music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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