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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.

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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — for catching
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rock — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pop — soda
  18. rock — a stone

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