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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rock — music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pop — soda
  8. charge — electricity
  9. club — for golf
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. club — a group
  18. charge — a price
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — in control
  22. pop — music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. club — for dancing

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