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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. rush — hurry
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pound — a weight
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. squash — the sport
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bear — to put up with

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