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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. can — a tin
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — a practice
  12. field — farmland
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — a match
  16. field — a subject
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ball — a great time
  19. drill — army training
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ball — a dance

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