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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. swing — music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kick — in football
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ball — a great time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pound — a weight
  13. swing — in golf
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. race — humankind
  17. ball — a dance
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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