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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pop — soda
  4. current — of water
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bass — low music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. current — electric
  9. face — to confront
  10. current — happening now
  11. field — farmland
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bass — the fish

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