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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. charge — electricity
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cue — a signal
  10. charge — a price
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spring — of water
  13. cue — for pool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stock — goods
  17. charge — in control
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pop — soda
  20. stock — shares
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. toast — bread
  23. date — the fruit
  24. foot — part of the body

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