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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. present — a gift
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. present — the time now
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pop — to visit
  20. season — of the year
  21. pop — soda
  22. season — in sport
  23. present — there
  24. leaves — to go away

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