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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. clip — to cut
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mug — to rob
  9. field — for sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — a subject
  14. pop — to visit
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mug — a face
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. field — farmland
  24. safe — a strongbox

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