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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. swing — music
  3. current — electric
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. drill — a practice
  15. current — of water
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. swing — to play on
  23. current — happening now
  24. bound — tied together

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