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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pop — soda
  4. perch — the fish
  5. game — a match
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — in control
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ball — a dance
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pop — to visit

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