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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fall — to drop
  9. charge — in control
  10. staff — employees
  11. track — a path
  12. staff — a stick
  13. track — a song
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — to keep track
  16. prune — to trim
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — a price
  19. fall — the season
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wake — a trail
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wake — before a funeral

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