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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. swing — in golf
  3. band — a music group
  4. lie — to recline
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rest — a break
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. season — in sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stock — goods
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pound — a weight
  17. swing — music
  18. band — a ring
  19. scale — in music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. swing — to play on
  22. season — of the year
  23. stock — shares
  24. season — to add flavour

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