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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pop — music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. firm — decided
  5. march — the month
  6. firm — a company
  7. pop — soda
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. march — the month
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kick — in football
  21. pop — to visit
  22. march — music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. firm — steady

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