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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. field — a subject
  5. object — an aim
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. field — for sport
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. object — to protest
  12. field — farmland
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pop — soda
  16. wind — moving air
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pop — to visit
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. object — a thing

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