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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — a price
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cold — not warm
  8. charge — in control
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cold — an illness
  12. prune — to trim
  13. swing — music
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pop — to visit
  20. swing — in golf
  21. march — music
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rock — music

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