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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rule — a law
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cue — for pool
  12. band — a music group
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pop — soda
  15. band — a ring
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rock — a stone
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — government
  24. key — the most important part

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