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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pop — music
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rash — hasty
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rash — a series
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — music
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pop — soda
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — in geometry

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