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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pop — music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — soda
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bass — low music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. scale — in music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. drill — army training
  24. cue — for pool

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