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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. court — of a king
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — the month
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lean — thin
  15. court — for sport
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. swing — to play on
  19. court — of law
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. lean — to bend

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