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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bass — low music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. object — an aim
  9. spring — a coil
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — to protest
  13. pop — soda
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. board — to get on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mug — to rob
  19. board — a committee
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. object — a thing
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. spring — of water

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