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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: land · charge · cabinet · pit · wave · foot · swing · sharp

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. charge — electricity
  4. land — to come down
  5. sharp — clever
  6. land — ground
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. land — a country
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. charge — in control
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. swing — music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. charge — a price

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