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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. object — to protest
  3. rock — a stone
  4. object — a thing
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. pop — to visit
  8. field — a subject
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pop — music
  12. rock — music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — for catching
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. net — after costs
  22. pop — soda
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to 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