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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ball — a dance
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. race — humankind
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. race — a contest
  14. pop — to visit
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pop — soda
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. date — on the calendar

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