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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. date — the fruit
  3. band — a ring
  4. firm — decided
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pop — to visit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. suit — to fit
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a music group
  18. suit — in cards
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. wound — an injury
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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