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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. can — a tin
  5. swing — music
  6. rule — government
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. squash — the sport
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rule — a law
  16. squash — to crush
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — a weight

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