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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. swing — music
  3. rock — music
  4. bass — low music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. current — happening now
  8. swing — in golf
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. current — of water
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. current — electric
  22. field — for sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the fish

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