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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pop — to visit
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. field — farmland
  8. pop — soda
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. field — for sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chip — to eat
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. plane — a tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. shower — rain

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