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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. court — of law
  6. lean — thin
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bass — low music
  9. roll — a list
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fall — the season
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bass — the fish
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fall — to drop
  19. court — for sport
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. court — of a king
  22. lean — to bend
  23. swing — music
  24. toast — bread

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