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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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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: key · pop · spring · rock · kick · game · bear · dip

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spring — a coil
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — music
  10. kick — in football
  11. spring — the season
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rock — music
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spring — of water
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. game — a match
  24. dip — to dunk

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