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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pop — music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. field — a subject
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. pop — soda
  21. fall — the season
  22. scale — in music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. squash — to crush

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