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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — music
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — the underground
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. swing — to play on
  12. spring — of water
  13. tube — a container
  14. staff — employees
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pound — a weight
  17. game — a match
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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