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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. object — to protest
  3. mark — a trace
  4. can — a tin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mark — a grade
  10. can — a tin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. object — a thing
  13. snap — to click
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. object — an aim
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — the fish
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. can — to be able to
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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