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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — farmland
  11. band — a ring
  12. rest — what's left
  13. band — a music group
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bat — the animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rest — a break
  21. charge — in control
  22. suit — clothes
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. charge — electricity

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