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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rock — a stone
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pop — soda
  8. rock — music
  9. board — a committee
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. ground — a position
  12. board — to get on
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. toast — bread
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pop — music
  22. roll — a list
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ground — crushed

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