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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — a series
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — farmland
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. field — a subject
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bass — low music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bound — certain
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. field — for sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bass — the fish

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