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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. field — a subject
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mug — a face
  7. row — to paddle
  8. suit — in cards
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rash — hasty
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rash — a series
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. content — the amount
  17. rush — hurry
  18. field — farmland
  19. row — a line
  20. suit — clothes
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. field — for sport

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