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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — a song
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fall — the season
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. track — a path
  14. stock — shares
  15. pound — a weight
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — soda
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. nail — for a hammer

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