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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spell — magic
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. present — a gift
  11. spell — letters
  12. stand — to bear
  13. last — final
  14. pop — soda
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pop — music
  19. present — there
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rash — a series
  22. bulb — for light
  23. last — finally
  24. present — the time now

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