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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pop — soda
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — certain
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. object — an aim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — to protest
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ground — a position
  22. object — a thing
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bound — tied together

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