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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pop — to visit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pop — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. ground — a position
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — ground
  14. ground — crushed
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rock — music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. land — a country
  19. pop — soda
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. board — to get on
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mouse — the animal

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