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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. pop — music
  2. shower — rain
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — in sport
  8. roll — a cake
  9. swing — music
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pop — to visit
  17. board — a committee
  18. roll — a list
  19. pop — soda
  20. shower — to wash
  21. swing — in golf
  22. board — to get on
  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