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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: arm · swing · march · deal · foot · club · bat · hide

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. deal — to handle
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. march — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. club — for golf
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. march — the month
  12. foot — a measure
  13. swing — to play on
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. swing — music
  24. bat — the animal

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