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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. field — a subject
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pop — to visit
  7. firm — decided
  8. mark — a trace
  9. field — for sport
  10. land — a country
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cap — of ice
  13. firm — steady
  14. band — a music group
  15. land — ground
  16. field — farmland
  17. pop — soda
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. firm — a company
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. land — to come down
  24. cap — a hat

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