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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rock — music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. capital — a city
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. capital — money
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pop — music

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