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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. toast — bread
  5. spring — a coil
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rule — government
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spring — the season
  13. clip — a video
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. clip — to cut
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. spring — of water
  23. rule — a law
  24. pop — to visit

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