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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. staff — employees
  3. pop — music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cell — in biology
  6. staff — employees
  7. pop — to visit
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. present — a gift
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — of water
  16. present — there
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — to handle
  19. current — electric
  20. mine — for digging
  21. current — happening now
  22. present — the time now
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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