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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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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: face · swing · sharp · saw · march · track · foot · season

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. track — a song
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. track — a path
  12. face — to confront
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. saw — the tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. foot — a measure
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. march — music
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. march — the month
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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