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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pound — a weight
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. deal — to handle
  7. scale — size or range
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ball — a dance
  11. scale — in music
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bank — of a river
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bank — for money
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — a big deal

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