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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. capital — money
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — of a river
  12. march — the month
  13. capital — a city
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bank — for money
  16. deal — to handle
  17. march — the month
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — the fish
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. march — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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