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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hand — help
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mark — a trace
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chip — for betting
  21. swing — to play on
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pound — a weight

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