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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. can — to be able to
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — a match
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — of water
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. game — wild animals
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spring — the season
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. game — a kind of play

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