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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pop — music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — soda
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. field — a subject
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitch — completely
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. field — for sport
  24. bank — of a river

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