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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stock — shares
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rest — what's left
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. swing — music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — goods
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pound — a weight
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. swing — in golf
  22. spell — letters
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rest — a break

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