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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pop — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fall — the season
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — boats
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pop — soda
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fork — in a road
  22. race — a contest
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stand — on your feet

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