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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mug — to rob
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. swing — music
  12. field — a subject
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pop — to visit
  17. field — for sport
  18. mug — a face
  19. pop — music
  20. field — farmland
  21. track — a song
  22. perch — the fish
  23. track — a path
  24. pop — soda

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