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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. field — for sport
  5. snap — to click
  6. present — a gift
  7. club — a group
  8. field — a subject
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — the time now
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. field — farmland
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pop — music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. present — there
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. club — for dancing
  21. key — the most important part
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — in music
  24. safe — a strongbox

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