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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. 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. last — to go on
  2. charge — a price
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pop — music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. club — a group
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. swing — music
  10. last — finally
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. charge — in control
  14. club — for golf
  15. swing — in golf
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pound — a weight
  18. 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