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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. squash — to crush
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fine — high quality
  8. drill — army training
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. foot — a measure
  11. spring — the season
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fine — all right
  16. pop — soda
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. drill — the tool
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. spring — of water
  24. foot — part of the body

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