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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pound — a weight
  9. club — for golf
  10. rock — a stone
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rock — music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. suit — in cards
  15. charge — in control
  16. suit — clothes
  17. swing — to play on
  18. club — for dancing
  19. clip — for paper
  20. tube — the underground
  21. clip — a video
  22. club — a group
  23. swing — music
  24. charge — a price

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