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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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. clip — a video
  9. club — a group
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. swing — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pound — a weight
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. clip — to cut
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. clip — for paper
  22. club — for golf
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pound — for dogs

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