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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pop — music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. court — of a king
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — all right
  21. court — of law
  22. pop — to visit
  23. court — for sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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