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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wax — to grow
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rule — a law
  16. pop — soda
  17. rock — a stone
  18. present — the time now
  19. can — a tin
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — government

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