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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. field — for sport
  4. swing — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. mug — a cup
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rock — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ground — the earth
  11. field — a subject
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. field — farmland
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mug — a face

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