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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 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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. present — the time now
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fine — all right
  12. file — a tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. file — a document
  15. mark — a trace
  16. file — a line of people
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret

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