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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — of water
  5. firm — a company
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — a match
  9. face — to confront
  10. present — there
  11. face — part of the head
  12. firm — steady
  13. spring — the season
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. firm — decided
  17. present — a gift
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mark — a trace
  20. face — to point toward
  21. present — the time now
  22. pop — soda
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mark — a grade

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