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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. field — farmland
  9. present — the time now
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — soda
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. present — there
  21. field — for sport
  22. pop — music
  23. field — a subject
  24. present — a gift

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