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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. track — a path
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bass — low music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a song
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — all right
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. swing — music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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