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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mark — a trace
  5. charge — in control
  6. stock — goods
  7. court — of a king
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. saw — the tool
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pop — soda
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stock — shares
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. court — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mark — a grade
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. court — of law

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