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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. file — a line of people
  4. present — a gift
  5. file — a document
  6. roll — a list
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pop — soda
  9. present — the time now
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mark — a trace
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ground — crushed
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ground — a position
  21. present — there
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ground — the earth
  24. file — a tool

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