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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. swing — in golf
  5. toast — bread
  6. deal — to handle
  7. prune — to trim
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pop — soda
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. pop — to visit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kick — in football
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. swing — music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. swing — to play on
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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