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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rock — music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tube — a container
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. race — humankind
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. race — a contest
  18. toast — bread
  19. bound — certain
  20. race — the arms race
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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