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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wind — moving air
  5. march — the month
  6. pop — soda
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — the month
  9. rock — a stone
  10. march — music
  11. rock — music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wind — moving air
  24. sharp — exactly

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