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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. swing — to play on
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rule — a law
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bound — certain
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bound — obliged
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. swing — music

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