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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 120 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. degree — from a university
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. degree — an amount
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. prune — to trim
  12. degree — temperature
  13. swing — music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — to crush
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — a weight
  24. march — the month

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