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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — for a lock
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — to breed
  13. key — in music
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pop — to visit
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — soda
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mouse — the animal

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