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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. craft — boats
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. present — the time now
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kick — in football
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pop — soda
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rash — a series
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pound — a weight
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chip — for betting
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bass — low music
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pop — to visit

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