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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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 — to visit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ground — a position
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. field — for sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pop — soda
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. land — a country
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rest — a break
  20. land — to come down
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. land — ground
  23. rush — to hurry
  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