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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — happy
  5. march — music
  6. swing — music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. firm — steady
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. suit — to fit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — to play on
  19. content — the amount
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — in golf
  22. march — the month
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. suit — in cards

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