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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. field — farmland
  4. mine — for digging
  5. charge — in control
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. current — happening now
  10. field — a subject
  11. charge — a price
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rock — music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pop — music
  18. current — electric
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rock — a stone
  22. current — of water
  23. suit — in cards
  24. field — for sport

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