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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ball — a dance
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — of a king
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — for sport
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. court — of law
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rule — a law
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pound — to hit hard

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