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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. drill — a practice
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pop — to visit
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tear — from crying
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mug — to rob
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. club — for golf
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. field — for sport
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pop — soda
  24. mouse — the animal

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