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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. suit — clothes
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — help
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. suit — to fit
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pop — soda
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a ring
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cue — a signal
  21. band — a music group
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — in cards

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