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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — a thing
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — in sport
  6. snap — to click
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. staff — a stick
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pop — to visit
  13. staff — employees
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — soda
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pound — a weight
  20. saw — the tool
  21. object — to protest
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. object — an aim
  24. pound — to hit hard

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