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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. field — for sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pop — soda
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pop — music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. rash — a series
  11. staff — employees
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pop — to visit
  17. field — farmland
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. field — a subject
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. land — a country
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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