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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bass — low music
  5. fine — all right
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ground — a position
  8. pound — a weight
  9. row — a line
  10. swing — in golf
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. swing — music
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fine — high quality
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ground — crushed
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. swing — to play on
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bass — the fish

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