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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. scale — in music
  3. craft — boats
  4. pop — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. land — a country
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. land — ground
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pop — soda
  20. bore — to drill
  21. land — to come down
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pop — to visit
  24. craft — a handicraft

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