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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. tube — a container
  3. pop — music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bass — low music
  9. court — of a king
  10. bass — the fish
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — the underground
  16. court — of law
  17. branch — a division
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. court — for sport
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hide — to keep secret

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