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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. field — a subject
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. drill — army training
  8. field — farmland
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rest — a break
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. drill — a practice
  19. field — for sport
  20. ball — a dance
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pop — music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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