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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — to go on
  6. pop — music
  7. rock — music
  8. file — a tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. firm — a company
  11. file — a document
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pop — to visit
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rock — a stone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. file — a line of people
  22. last — finally
  23. pop — soda
  24. last — final

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