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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pop — music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bore — to tire
  6. track — a path
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. bore — to drill
  11. track — a song
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. race — the arms race
  24. swing — in golf

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