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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. 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. club — for dancing
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. field — farmland
  5. current — of water
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. field — for sport
  9. mug — a face
  10. field — a subject
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mug — a cup
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — electric
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. current — happening now
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. 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