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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rest — a break
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pop — soda
  11. bound — obliged
  12. last — final
  13. pop — to visit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bound — certain
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. swing — music
  19. last — to go on
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. last — finally
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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