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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hand — help
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. present — there
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. present — a gift
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. firm — steady
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — decided
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pop — soda
  23. firm — a company
  24. spell — a short time

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