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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pop — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bound — certain
  9. ground — a position
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rule — a law
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pop — soda
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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