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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: net · dip · swing · chair · foot · march · last · ground

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. swing — in golf
  5. net — in sport
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — to sink
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — the earth
  11. last — finally
  12. foot — a measure
  13. swing — to play on
  14. net — for catching
  15. ground — crushed
  16. march — music
  17. ground — a position
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. net — after costs
  20. swing — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. last — to go on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. last — final

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