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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. land — a country
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stand — to bear
  12. prune — to trim
  13. scale — in music
  14. rock — music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pop — music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. scale — size or range
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pop — to visit
  24. prune — to trim

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