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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. field — farmland
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. field — for sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. field — a subject
  15. pop — soda
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bear — the animal

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