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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spring — the season
  3. present — there
  4. spring — of water
  5. field — for sport
  6. scale — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — a coil
  11. field — farmland
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. field — a subject
  14. pop — to visit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. present — a gift
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pop — soda
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — letters
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pop — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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