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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pop — soda
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pop — music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stock — goods

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