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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pop — music
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. roll — a list
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bound — obliged
  14. staff — employees
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pop — soda
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bound — certain
  22. rock — music
  23. toast — bread
  24. cap — a hat

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