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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: file · foot · dip · present · jam · season · swing · cell

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. file — a document
  7. swing — in golf
  8. present — a gift
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — of the year
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. swing — music
  15. present — the time now
  16. cell — in biology
  17. swing — to play on
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. present — there
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. season — in sport
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cell — in a prison

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