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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pound — a weight
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. key — in music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. march — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. march — the month
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — the most important part
  18. kid — child
  19. squash — to crush
  20. lie — to recline
  21. squash — the sport
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. march — the month
  24. key — for a lock

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