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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. row — a line
  3. field — a subject
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pop — to visit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — soda
  9. field — for sport
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. staff — employees
  13. bass — low music
  14. mug — a face
  15. field — farmland
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. staff — a stick
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — the fish
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. staff — employees
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. row — a quarrel

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