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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pop — music
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. scale — in music
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bass — low music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pop — soda
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. scale — size or range
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bear — the animal
  24. last — to go on

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