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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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. ground — a position
  4. swing — in golf
  5. present — the time now
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. key — the most important part
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — for a lock
  12. present — a gift
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. key — in music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. swing — to play on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ground — the earth
  24. present — there

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