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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.

Make a worksheet

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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rest — a break
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pound — for dogs

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