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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. swing — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. land — a country
  7. bark — to shout
  8. land — to come down
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pop — music
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pop — to visit
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pop — soda
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. swing — to play on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. land — ground

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