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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. field — for sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. rock — a stone
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pop — music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spring — of water
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a great time
  20. field — a subject
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — farmland
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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