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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pop — soda
  6. sharp — clever
  7. object — a thing
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pop — to visit
  11. object — an aim
  12. fine — all right
  13. ball — a great time
  14. degree — an amount
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. degree — from a university
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fine — high quality
  21. object — to protest
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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