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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wound — an injury
  5. swing — music
  6. clip — a video
  7. pound — a weight
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rest — a break
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. swing — in golf
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. can — a tin
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. clip — for paper
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rest — what's left

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