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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — to play on
  3. march — music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. swing — music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. march — the month
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. band — a music group
  20. swing — in golf
  21. band — a ring
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hide — to keep secret

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