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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pop — to visit
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. game — a match
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. object — to protest
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. snap — to click
  12. track — a path
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. prune — to trim
  17. object — a thing
  18. game — wild animals
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a song
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pop — soda
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — an aim

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