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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · field · dip · racket · jam · game · net · mark

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. game — wild animals
  3. net — in sport
  4. game — a match
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — a grade
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pop — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. field — farmland
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pop — to visit
  20. net — after costs
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — soda
  23. field — for sport
  24. mark — a trace

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