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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pop — music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pop — soda
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. content — the amount
  8. toast — bread
  9. cue — a hint
  10. content — happy
  11. rule — government
  12. kid — to tease
  13. spring — the season
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spring — of water
  16. pass — a permit
  17. kid — child
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rule — a law
  24. pop — to visit

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