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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. firm — a company
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tear — from crying
  11. content — happy
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. content — the amount
  15. tear — to rip
  16. firm — steady
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. firm — decided
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — a garden tool

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