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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. net — after costs
  3. club — for dancing
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. net — in sport
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. swing — in golf
  9. deal — to handle
  10. net — for catching
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. march — music
  15. kick — in football
  16. march — the month
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. club — a group
  20. swing — music
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. march — the month
  23. swing — to play on
  24. club — for 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