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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — soda
  5. rest — a break
  6. staff — employees
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. object — to protest
  10. craft — boats
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mine — for digging
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pop — to visit
  18. object — an aim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. staff — employees
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mine — an explosive

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