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

Word bank: toast · chair · calf · ball · cold · present · swing · foot

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. present — a gift
  3. ball — a dance
  4. present — there
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cold — not warm
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. swing — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. present — the time now
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cold — an illness
  20. chair — a leader
  21. toast — bread
  22. swing — to play on
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. toast — the most admired

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