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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — low music
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mate — a friend
  10. swing — to play on
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. row — a line
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a dance
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bass — the fish
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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