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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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. field — farmland
  3. band — a music group
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. row — a line
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. band — a ring
  16. ball — a great time
  17. suit — in cards
  18. row — to paddle
  19. field — a subject
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. field — for sport
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ball — a dance

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