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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ball — a dance
  3. suit — to fit
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — completely
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — for sport
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. can — a tin
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ball — a great time
  15. spell — letters
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pop — soda
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pop — 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