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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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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: jam · pop · fine · sharp · rest · clip · rock · bear

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. clip — for paper
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rock — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pop — soda
  16. clip — a video
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fine — all right
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rest — a break
  24. fine — high quality

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