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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. capital — a city
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rock — a stone
  8. object — an aim
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pop — soda
  11. object — a thing
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mine — for digging
  14. object — to protest
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. capital — money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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