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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. present — there
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pound — a weight
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. club — for golf
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. scale — in music
  13. roll — a list
  14. club — for dancing
  15. present — a gift
  16. scale — size or range
  17. club — a group
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. roll — a cake
  20. swing — in golf
  21. present — the time now
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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