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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spring — of water
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. spring — a coil
  8. race — the arms race
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. race — a contest
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spring — the season
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mug — a cup
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. firm — steady
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — to bear

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