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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pop — music
  7. season — in sport
  8. shower — rain
  9. charge — a price
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. swing — in golf
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. swing — music
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. season — of the year
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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