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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rule — a law
  7. shower — rain
  8. wound — an injury
  9. swing — music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. shower — to wash
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. patient — a sick person

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