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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. field — a subject
  3. dip — to sink
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — for sport
  8. mug — a cup
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — music
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pop — music
  13. mug — a face
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. drill — army training
  16. pop — soda
  17. drill — a practice
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. field — farmland
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rock — a stone

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