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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. spell — letters
  3. pop — soda
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. spell — a short time
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pop — music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. clip — a video
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mate — a partner
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spell — magic
  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