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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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Word bank
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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 · tear · key · rash · pound · fine · rule · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pop — music
  3. rule — a law
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pop — soda
  7. key — in music
  8. rule — government
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pop — to visit
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. net — for catching
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fine — all right
  23. net — after costs
  24. tear — from crying

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