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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pop — to visit
  4. club — for dancing
  5. kid — child
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rock — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — to come down
  11. club — a group
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. spell — letters
  16. file — a tool
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. club — for golf
  19. spell — magic
  20. file — a document
  21. land — a country
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pop — soda
  24. land — ground

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