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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pound — a weight
  4. firm — steady
  5. swing — music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bound — tied together
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bound — certain
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. firm — a company
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. roll — a list
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. firm — decided
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. swing — in 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