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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 116 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: swing · net · face · firm · prune · mug · pound · kid

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. swing — in golf
  4. kid — child
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. face — to confront
  9. firm — steady
  10. swing — to play on
  11. kid — to tease
  12. firm — decided
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a face
  15. net — for catching
  16. swing — music
  17. net — in sport
  18. prune — to trim
  19. net — after costs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. firm — a company
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mug — a cup

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