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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fall — the season
  6. firm — steady
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. field — farmland
  10. suit — to fit
  11. scale — in music
  12. firm — decided
  13. field — for sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. scale — size or range
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fall — to drop
  18. firm — a company
  19. swing — to play on
  20. field — a subject
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. swing — music

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