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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. firm — decided
  3. pop — music
  4. fine — all right
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — a subject
  8. court — of a king
  9. firm — a company
  10. court — of law
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stem — to come from
  13. field — farmland
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. firm — steady
  19. court — for sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — 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