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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. field — farmland
  5. season — of the year
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. field — for sport
  9. pop — music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. roll — a list
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pop — soda
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. field — a subject
  22. season — in sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bowl — a football final

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