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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. swing — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wind — moving air
  8. charge — in control
  9. mug — a face
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. track — a song
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rest — a break
  19. swing — to play on
  20. track — a path
  21. fine — high quality
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pound — a weight

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