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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 120 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. spring — the season
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. current — electric
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pop — soda
  7. suit — to fit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. sharp — clever
  12. current — happening now
  13. suit — clothes
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. spring — a coil
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mine — for digging
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. current — of water
  22. pound — a weight
  23. spring — of water
  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