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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. club — for golf
  4. land — to come down
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. land — a country
  10. pop — to visit
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pop — soda
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — a monarch

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