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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. swing — to play on
  6. spell — a short time
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. dip — to sink
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. spell — magic
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — hasty
  22. spell — letters
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. dip — to dunk

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