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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bound — obliged
  4. field — farmland
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. charge — a price
  7. field — a subject
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pop — to visit
  10. charge — in control
  11. field — for sport
  12. pop — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bound — certain
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — tied together
  19. charge — electricity
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pop — soda
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — a match
  24. fan — to cool the air

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