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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — a group
  11. rash — a series
  12. field — farmland
  13. club — for golf
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. court — of a king
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — for sport
  18. pop — to visit
  19. court — of law
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. field — a subject
  23. fine — all right
  24. club — for dancing

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