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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: swing · content · cap · rest · vault · file · perch · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rest — a break
  3. swing — in golf
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cap — a hat
  6. swing — to play on
  7. perch — the fish
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. file — a tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — a lid
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. content — the amount
  15. file — a line of people
  16. content — happy
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cap — of ice
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. file — a document

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