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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pop — soda
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. capital — money
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — to visit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chip — to eat
  15. capital — a city
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — for light
  18. last — final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — for betting
  22. last — to go on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. capital — a big letter

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