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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rock — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chair — a professorship

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