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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. band — a ring
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. foot — a measure
  8. capital — money
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cue — for pool
  11. band — a music group
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pop — soda
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. capital — a city
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cue — a hint

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