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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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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — music
  3. scale — in music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wake — a trail
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bass — low music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. track — a song
  14. stand — to bear
  15. can — to be able to
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pop — soda
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. track — a path

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