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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. firm — steady
  5. pop — to visit
  6. firm — decided
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fall — the season
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bark — to shout
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fall — to drop
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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