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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. face — to confront
  6. pop — music
  7. roll — a list
  8. pop — to visit
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pop — soda
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ground — the earth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. present — a gift
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ground — a position
  20. rash — hasty
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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