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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pop — soda
  4. press — to push
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — the fish
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — in music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bass — low music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bear — the animal
  22. press — a publisher
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — to visit

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