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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pound — a weight
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wind — moving air
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. toast — bread
  8. tear — to rip
  9. roll — a list
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pop — soda
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. row — a line
  15. pop — to visit
  16. club — a group
  17. wind — moving air
  18. roll — a cake
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pop — music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. tear — from crying
  24. club — for golf

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