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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kid — child
  3. swing — music
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. march — music
  6. kid — to tease
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rush — hurry
  11. march — the month
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — the month
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pound — for dogs

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