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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. file — a tool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. file — a line of people
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mate — a friend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. board — a committee
  13. bear — the animal
  14. file — a document
  15. board — to get on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pop — soda
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bear — to put up with

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