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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. swing — to play on
  8. roll — a list
  9. rock — a stone
  10. swing — music
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — in golf
  23. band — a music group
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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