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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. swing — music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. net — for catching
  5. present — there
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. snap — to click
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. row — a line
  13. land — ground
  14. net — after costs
  15. present — the time now
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. land — a country
  19. present — a gift
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. swing — to play on

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