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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — for sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. pop — soda
  8. field — farmland
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. clip — a video
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ball — a great time
  18. key — in music
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. clip — for paper

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