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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pop — soda
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rash — a series
  5. row — a line
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — high quality
  10. swing — music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — to visit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rash — hasty
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fine — all right
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pop — music

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