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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pop — soda
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rule — a law
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. land — ground
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. land — a country
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rule — government
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pop — to visit
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. squash — the sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bark — of a tree

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