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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: trunk · foot · present · rule · bowl · swing · ball · firm

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. firm — decided
  5. swing — to play on
  6. firm — steady
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. swing — music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. swing — in golf
  12. present — the time now
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. present — there
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rule — government
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rule — a law
  23. firm — a company
  24. present — a gift

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