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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pound — a weight
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. band — a ring
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. swing — music
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. roll — a cake
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. band — a music group
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — to play on
  21. dip — to sink
  22. perch — the fish
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pound — for dogs

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