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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. swing — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pop — soda
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. plane — a tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — for catching
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. net — in sport
  23. pound — a weight
  24. swing — to play on

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