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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pop — to visit
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. file — a tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. file — a document
  16. net — in sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pop — soda
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. net — for catching
  24. date — on the calendar

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