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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — soda
  5. ground — a position
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — a break
  9. spring — of water
  10. fine — all right
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. pop — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fine — high quality
  24. spring — a coil

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