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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. firm — steady
  3. pop — soda
  4. scale — in music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. club — a group
  7. firm — decided
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rock — a stone
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rock — music
  15. hand — in cards
  16. club — for dancing
  17. band — a ring
  18. club — for golf
  19. hand — help
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. band — a music group
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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