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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rock — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pop — music
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pop — soda
  22. kid — child
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rush — hurry

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