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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. swing — in golf
  3. scale — in music
  4. swing — music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. scale — size or range
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fork — in a road
  24. deal — an agreement

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