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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — a face
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mug — to rob
  9. drill — army training
  10. shower — to wash
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. drill — a practice
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wound — an injury
  21. field — farmland
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mug — a cup
  24. field — a subject

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