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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. land — a country
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cue — for pool
  5. key — in music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rash — a series
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rest — a break
  10. land — to come down
  11. pop — to visit
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. key — the most important part
  19. deal — to handle
  20. land — ground
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pop — soda
  24. deal — an agreement

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