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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wake — a trail
  4. game — a match
  5. suit — clothes
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. spring — the season
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pop — soda
  11. suit — to fit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pop — music
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. sharp — clever
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  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