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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pass — a permit
  3. net — in sport
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — a series
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. net — for catching
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. swing — music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pound — a weight
  20. net — after costs
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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