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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. fall — the season
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fork — in a road
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. track — a path
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. perch — the fish
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. perch — for a bird

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