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

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fine — all right
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. game — wild animals
  10. staff — employees
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. game — a match
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a path
  24. fine — high quality

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