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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pop — music
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — soda
  9. spring — of water
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spring — the season
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. spring — a coil
  18. toast — bread
  19. rush — hurry
  20. band — a ring
  21. mug — a face
  22. prune — to trim
  23. band — a music group
  24. ball — a great time

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