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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. swing — music
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mug — to rob
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. swing — to play on
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — child
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. swing — in golf
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mug — a face
  18. kid — to tease
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ball — a great time
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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