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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pop — soda
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pop — music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pop — to visit

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