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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. swing — music
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kick — in football
  5. row — to paddle
  6. march — the month
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. march — music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. march — the month
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — in golf
  16. hand — help
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. row — a line
  21. last — finally
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pound — to hit hard

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