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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. pop — music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. club — for golf
  8. fall — to drop
  9. content — happy
  10. net — after costs
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — soda
  17. content — the amount
  18. club — a group
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fall — to drop
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. pop — to visit
  24. temple — a place of worship

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