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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. charge — electricity
  6. field — for sport
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. charge — in control
  9. pop — to visit
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — in sport
  16. perch — the fish
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pop — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — farmland
  24. plane — in geometry

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