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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rule — government
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rule — a law
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fan — a supporter

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