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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · plane · mine · rest · court · pop · mug · spring

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. court — for sport
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pop — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. rock — music
  10. spring — of water
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mug — a face
  13. pop — to visit
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rock — a stone
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. spring — the season
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pop — soda
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rest — what's left

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