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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.

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: present · mark · ground · staff · swing · foot · wave · pop

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — soda
  3. mark — a grade
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. swing — in golf
  12. present — there
  13. staff — a stick
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — a position
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — a gift
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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