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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. track — a song
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pop — soda
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pop — to visit
  15. field — for sport
  16. ground — a position
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. board — to get on
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. field — farmland
  23. track — a path
  24. rock — music

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