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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. swing — music
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. object — a thing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — for sport
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. field — farmland
  16. deal — to handle
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spring — of water
  20. field — a subject
  21. object — to protest
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pound — a weight

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