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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mug — to rob
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pop — soda
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. can — to be able to
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mug — a face
  17. last — final
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. last — finally
  21. can — a tin
  22. pop — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — of a tree

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