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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. season — in sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — of ice
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pop — soda
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tear — from crying
  23. season — of the year
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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