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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — a group
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — of water
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cap — a hat
  17. spring — the season
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pop — soda
  21. club — for golf
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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