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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mug — a cup
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mug — to rob
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kid — child
  9. file — a document
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mug — a face
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pop — soda
  16. file — a tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitch — completely

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