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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pop — to visit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mark — a grade
  11. file — a document
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. content — the amount
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. content — happy
  17. mark — a trace
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. file — a tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bowl — a football final

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