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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spring — of water
  6. rock — music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pop — soda
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. toast — bread
  13. cue — a signal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pop — music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spring — the season
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rock — a stone

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