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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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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: mouse · ground · snap · ball · suit · rock · cold · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rock — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ground — crushed
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ground — a position
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cold — an illness
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pop — soda
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rock — to move gently

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