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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fine — all right
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ground — the earth
  6. scale — size or range
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — a path
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ground — a position
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. track — a song
  19. scale — in music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pop — soda
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — high quality

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