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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rash — a series
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mouse — the animal

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