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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 124 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mark — a trace
  3. swing — music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. land — a country
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cap — a hat
  18. land — ground
  19. wind — moving air
  20. land — to come down
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mark — a grade
  24. swing — to play on

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