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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: rock · leaves · chair · file · jam · kick · pound · swing

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. file — a document
  6. rock — a stone
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. swing — to play on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rock — music
  13. file — a tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. swing — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kick — in football
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. swing — in golf

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