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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. field — a subject
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. row — a line
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mark — a grade
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pop — soda

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