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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. season — of the year
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pound — a weight
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. swing — music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rock — a stone
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cell — in biology
  19. season — in sport
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. spell — magic
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spell — letters

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