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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — a price
  9. ball — a great time
  10. season — in sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cell — in biology
  21. season — of the year
  22. charge — in control
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. charge — electricity

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