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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.

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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. net — for catching
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. field — for sport
  6. net — in sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — after costs
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink

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