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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · bore · staff · arm · foot · fork · rush · swing

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. swing — music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bat — the animal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bore — to tire
  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