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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — soda
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. tube — a container
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. content — the amount
  8. club — for golf
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — a group
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. game — a match
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wake — a trail
  18. game — wild animals
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. club — for dancing

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