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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. march — the month
  3. pop — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. march — the month
  8. fall — the season
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. press — to push
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pop — soda
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fan — to cool the air

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