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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — farmland
  11. court — of a king
  12. pit — in a race
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pop — soda
  19. court — for sport
  20. field — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. pop — to visit
  23. field — a subject
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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