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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: fall · pop · hide · rock · fine · track · capital · perch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pop — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pop — to visit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fall — to drop
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rock — music
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. capital — money
  14. pop — soda
  15. fall — the season
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — all right
  19. capital — a city
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. track — a song
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hide — animal skin

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