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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. game — a match
  3. present — there
  4. field — for sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bass — low music
  9. suit — in cards
  10. spring — the season
  11. present — a gift
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spring — a coil
  16. field — farmland
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. field — a subject
  19. pop — music
  20. present — the time now
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. suit — to fit

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