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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ground — the earth
  6. court — of a king
  7. rock — a stone
  8. field — a subject
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. field — for sport
  12. ground — a position
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. court — of law
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. field — farmland
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. court — 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