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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pop — soda
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pop — to visit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. field — for sport
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. club — for golf
  11. tube — a container
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — music
  17. rock — music
  18. club — a group
  19. rock — a stone
  20. field — a subject
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. field — farmland
  24. tube — in a tire

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