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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — music
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bear — the animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. clip — a video
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pop — soda
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. field — farmland
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — the animal

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