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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rule — a law
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. shower — rain
  15. rule — government
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. scale — in music

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