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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — a series
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. field — for sport
  7. mark — a grade
  8. field — a subject
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pop — soda
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. dip — to sink
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. safe — out of danger

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