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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stock — goods
  4. rock — a stone
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — music
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. swing — to play on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. field — a subject
  21. craft — boats
  22. stock — shares
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pound — a weight

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