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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pop — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pop — soda
  5. firm — a company
  6. mine — for digging
  7. firm — decided
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. swing — music
  12. chest — a box
  13. court — of law
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. spring — of water
  16. court — of a king
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spring — the season
  19. court — for sport
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. firm — steady
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chest — of your body

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