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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. ground — crushed
  4. swing — music
  5. field — farmland
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. field — a subject
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. field — for sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ground — the earth
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. swing — to play on
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. ball — a great time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ground — a position

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