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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. firm — steady
  3. tube — the underground
  4. firm — a company
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. staff — employees
  8. pop — to visit
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pop — soda
  13. march — music
  14. tube — a container
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. firm — decided
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. staff — a stick
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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