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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. game — wild animals
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. land — a country
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pop — to visit
  9. land — to come down
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bore — to drill
  12. season — of the year
  13. land — ground
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stand — to bear
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — a match
  18. season — in sport
  19. pop — soda
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. can — to be able to

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