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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. field — for sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pop — to visit
  6. field — farmland
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. field — a subject
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. root — the cause
  18. rash — a series
  19. pop — music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. lash — an eyelash

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