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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. firm — a company
  3. rest — a break
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pop — music
  6. game — a match
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. firm — steady
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. spring — of water
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. firm — decided
  18. spring — a coil
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. toast — bread
  22. spring — the season
  23. pound — a weight
  24. game — a kind of play

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