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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. key — in music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. chest — of your body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. chest — a box
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pop — soda

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