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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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. racket — a loud noise
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — all right
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fine — high quality
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — soda
  16. degree — temperature
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — for tennis

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