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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pop — soda
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. content — happy
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. content — the amount
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — a series
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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