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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. dip — to sink
  6. season — in sport
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. drill — a practice
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rash — a series
  17. drill — army training
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. season — of the year
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. can — a tin

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