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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. field — for sport
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. toast — bread
  14. bore — to drill
  15. track — a path
  16. band — a ring
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. band — a music group
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. field — a subject
  24. squash — to crush

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