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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: net · march · straw · fall · track · calf · pound · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. march — music
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. march — the month
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. track — to keep track
  10. net — in sport
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. track — a song
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. swing — in golf
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pound — a weight
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. march — the month
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. track — a path
  24. calf — a young animal

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