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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. rock — music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. track — to keep track
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. field — farmland
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. field — a subject
  18. capital — a city
  19. field — for sport
  20. track — a path
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. track — a song
  23. capital — money
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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