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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. swing — music
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — a weight
  12. content — happy
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rest — a break
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. field — a subject
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mug — a face
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. content — the amount

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