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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · rule · pop · rash · fan · swing · bay · land

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pop — music
  6. rule — a law
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pound — a weight
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. land — a country
  13. pop — to visit
  14. land — ground
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — music
  19. land — to come down
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — government
  24. bay — a horse colour

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