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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rock — music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. field — farmland
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — of the sea

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