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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pop — soda
  4. spring — of water
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bass — the fish
  7. track — a path
  8. cell — in biology
  9. lean — thin
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rock — music
  12. spring — the season
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spring — a coil
  18. track — a song
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pop — music
  24. bass — low music

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