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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. net — in sport
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pop — to visit
  7. net — after costs
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. march — music
  10. net — for catching
  11. fall — to drop
  12. march — the month
  13. shower — rain
  14. track — a song
  15. bore — to drill
  16. craft — a skill
  17. track — a path
  18. pop — soda
  19. bore — to tire
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — boats
  23. march — the month
  24. fall — the season

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