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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pop — to visit
  5. season — of the year
  6. pound — a weight
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. march — the month
  19. land — ground
  20. pop — soda
  21. rule — government
  22. march — music
  23. rule — a law
  24. season — in sport

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