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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mug — a face
  9. firm — a company
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. firm — decided
  13. pop — soda
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — completely
  18. scale — in music
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. firm — steady
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pop — to visit

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