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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rash — a series
  6. season — in sport
  7. current — electric
  8. degree — an amount
  9. season — of the year
  10. swing — music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rock — music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. vault — a safe
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. swing — in golf
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. current — of water
  23. degree — from a university
  24. current — happening now

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