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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pop — music
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rule — government
  12. rash — a series
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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