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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rock — a stone
  3. scale — in music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mug — a cup
  6. track — a path
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rock — music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. present — the time now
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mug — a face
  16. tear — from crying
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — there
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pound — a weight
  22. tear — from crying
  23. can — to be able to
  24. scale — for weighing

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