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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. face — to point toward
  4. degree — from a university
  5. swing — music
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. can — to be able to
  8. field — for sport
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — a subject
  15. face — part of the head
  16. degree — temperature
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. face — to confront
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. swing — in golf
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — an amount
  24. field — farmland

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