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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. field — for sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bass — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. field — a subject
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — low music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — to visit
  23. field — farmland
  24. wake — a trail

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