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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. rest — what's left
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. season — of the year
  8. prune — to trim
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rest — a break
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — the fruit

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