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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. capital — a city
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. capital — money
  18. net — after costs
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. net — for catching
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. net — in sport

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