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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: swing · foot · rest · mate · hand · scale · jam · bound

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bound — certain
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rest — a break
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. scale — in music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rest — what's left
  17. foot — a measure
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bound — tied together
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rest — what's left

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