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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: pound · bore · foot · swing · hide · cap · content · bass

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bore — to tire
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bass — the fish
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cap — a lid
  11. content — happy
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. content — the amount
  15. bore — to drill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. swing — music
  18. cap — of ice
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bass — low music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hide — animal skin

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