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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chair — a leader
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cue — a signal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pop — soda
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wind — to turn a key

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