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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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Word bank
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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: craft · pound · cap · swing · pop · hand · foot · wave

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pop — soda
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pop — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. hand — in cards
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cap — of ice
  23. swing — music
  24. hand — help

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