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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. last — finally
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pop — soda
  8. bore — to drill
  9. last — final
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. field — a subject
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. last — to go on
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mark — to pay attention

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