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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. foot — a measure
  3. swing — in golf
  4. court — of a king
  5. squash — to crush
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. squash — the sport
  8. craft — a skill
  9. charge — in control
  10. bound — certain
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bound — tied together
  15. charge — a price
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. swing — music
  20. craft — boats
  21. charge — electricity
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bound — obliged

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