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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. key — in music
  8. pop — soda
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. file — a document

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