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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — to come down
  3. pop — soda
  4. rock — music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. land — a country
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pop — to visit
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. march — music
  17. ball — a dance
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. land — ground
  20. shower — rain
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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