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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. drill — a practice
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — a weight

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