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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: content · board · cabinet · arm · wind · foot · racket · swing

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. board — to get on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. content — the amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — a committee
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. content — happy
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. swing — to play on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. foot — the bottom

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