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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — in music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pound — a weight
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bear — the animal
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pop — music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pop — to visit
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pop — soda
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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