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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mine — for digging
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. field — for sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cell — a phone
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. field — a subject
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pop — soda
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pop — to visit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. field — farmland

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