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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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 — music
  2. spring — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pop — to visit
  8. field — farmland
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. track — a path
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — the season
  16. track — a song
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. field — a subject
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — to keep track
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — soda
  23. spring — a coil
  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