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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. field — farmland
  4. kick — in football
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fine — high quality
  8. season — in sport
  9. rock — music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. field — a subject
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. roll — a list
  18. fine — all right
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rock — a stone
  21. field — for sport
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. roll — on a roll

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