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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pound — a weight
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — to get on
  8. current — happening now
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ground — a position
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. kid — child
  14. current — of water
  15. board — a committee
  16. kid — to tease
  17. track — a path
  18. current — electric
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. track — a song
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ground — the earth

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