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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · pop · degree · hide · mouse · can · rest · march

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. degree — an amount
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rock — music
  7. pop — music
  8. rest — a break
  9. rock — a stone
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pop — soda
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. march — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. degree — from a university
  22. march — the month
  23. can — a tin
  24. degree — temperature

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