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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spring — of water
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rush — hurry
  5. swing — music
  6. rule — government
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wound — an injury
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pitch — completely
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pop — soda
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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