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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. object — a thing
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pop — soda
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. object — an aim
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bound — tied together
  15. object — to protest
  16. branch — a division
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. bowl — a dish

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