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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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Word bank
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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. spring — the season
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spring — of water
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bass — low music
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bound — obliged
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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