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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. swing — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. season — of the year
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. season — in sport
  12. present — there
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. present — the time now
  16. stock — shares
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stock — goods
  20. swing — to play on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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