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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spring — the season
  4. current — happening now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pop — to visit
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. season — in sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — of the year
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pop — soda
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. current — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — electric
  24. patient — a sick person

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