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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. pop — soda
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — certain
  5. court — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cap — of ice
  19. court — of law
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cap — a lid
  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