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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · foot · coach · arm · cap · pop · ball · face

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pop — soda
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. face — to point toward
  8. swing — to play on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. swing — in golf
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ball — a great time
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cap — a hat
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pop — music
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cap — a lid
  23. swing — music
  24. foot — part of the body

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