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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rock — music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pop — music
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ground — a position
  24. fine — all right

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