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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. snap — to click
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pop — to visit
  5. game — a match
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pop — soda
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rule — a law
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rule — government
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rule — to rule out

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