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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wound — an injury
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. suit — to fit
  7. swing — in golf
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pound — a weight
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — music
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. straw — dry grass

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