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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. key — in music
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. band — a ring
  8. land — a country
  9. pop — to visit
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. craft — boats
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. key — the most important part
  16. land — ground
  17. pop — soda
  18. game — wild animals
  19. land — to come down
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. key — for a lock
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. game — a match

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