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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · rock · stick · firm · ground · pound · scale · mug

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — a stone
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. rock — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pop — soda
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — a weight
  17. scale — in music
  18. ground — a position
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mug — a face
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — to rob

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