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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pop — to visit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pop — soda
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. march — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. field — farmland
  13. march — the month
  14. pop — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. field — a subject
  17. march — the month
  18. field — for sport

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