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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fine — all right
  6. pop — soda
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — to crush
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. capital — a city
  20. fine — high quality
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. capital — money
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. capital — a big letter

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