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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bass — low music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rule — a law
  14. squash — the sport
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rule — government
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pop — soda
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — to play on
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. squash — to crush

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