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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rock — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pop — music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. field — a subject
  15. branch — a division
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pop — soda
  18. chip — for betting
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. field — farmland
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rock — a stone
  24. branch — of a bank

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