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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. band — a ring
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pop — soda
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. land — ground
  15. stem — to come from
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pop — to visit
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cue — a hint
  21. band — a music group
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — to come down

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