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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. last — to go on
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — final
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — finally
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a great time
  14. season — of the year
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fall — the season
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. season — in sport

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