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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. charge — electricity
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. staff — employees
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. scale — in music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — the animal
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. charge — in control
  20. pop — to visit
  21. charge — a price
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pop — soda

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