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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · march · wind · chair · pop · swing · firm · pound

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. firm — a company
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — decided
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. march — the month
  16. pop — music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pound — a weight
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. firm — steady
  21. swing — music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. leaves — lets stay

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