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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 · fork · foot · wave · mine · wind · chair · ground

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. swing — music
  3. ground — a position
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ground — the earth
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mine — for digging

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