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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pop — soda
  4. court — of law
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pop — to visit
  7. court — of a king
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pit — a hole
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kick — in football
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. court — for sport

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