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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pop — to visit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fine — all right
  21. staff — employees
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pop — soda

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