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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: sharp · cabinet · foot · swing · pop · bat · wound · deal

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pop — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. deal — to handle
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pop — soda
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. sharp — clever

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