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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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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spell — letters
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. present — a gift
  6. ground — the earth
  7. present — the time now
  8. spell — a short time
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. field — a subject
  11. ground — crushed
  12. field — farmland
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ground — a position
  16. present — there
  17. spell — magic
  18. toast — bread

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