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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spring — of water
  3. present — the time now
  4. march — the month
  5. season — in sport
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pop — soda
  13. march — the month
  14. spring — the season
  15. present — there
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. present — a gift
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. march — music
  20. season — of the year
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. vault — a safe

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