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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. march — the month
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rest — what's left
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rock — a stone
  9. row — a line
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. content — the amount
  13. club — for golf
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. club — for dancing
  17. march — the month
  18. rest — a break
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. march — music
  23. club — a group
  24. mate — to breed

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