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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. kick — in football
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rock — music
  5. field — for sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pop — music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. content — happy
  16. pop — soda
  17. snap — to click
  18. content — the amount
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rock — a stone
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. field — a subject
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kick — with a leg

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