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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ground — the earth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — in sport
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ground — a position
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. season — of the year
  18. wind — moving air
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ground — crushed
  21. swing — music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. net — after costs
  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