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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. last — finally
  3. spell — magic
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. swing — music
  7. club — for dancing
  8. squash — to crush
  9. swing — to play on
  10. club — a group
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. last — to go on
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. squash — the sport
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. last — final
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. swing — in golf
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — letters
  24. club — for golf

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