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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — the season
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spring — of water
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. march — the month
  13. pop — soda
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. present — there
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — the time now
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spring — a coil
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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