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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pop — soda
  5. chest — of your body
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chest — of your body
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. chest — a box
  12. mug — a face
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spring — the season
  15. foot — a measure
  16. current — happening now
  17. mate — a friend
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pop — to visit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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