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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rock — music
  4. court — of law
  5. suit — clothes
  6. land — to come down
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rock — a stone
  9. last — final
  10. firm — decided
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. suit — to fit
  13. firm — steady
  14. last — to go on
  15. firm — a company
  16. court — for sport
  17. bore — to drill
  18. land — ground
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pop — music
  21. land — a country
  22. court — of a king
  23. last — finally
  24. bore — gave birth

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