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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — after costs
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. firm — decided
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — in sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — for catching
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — a company
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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