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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. drill — army training
  4. ball — a great time
  5. field — a subject
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cue — a hint
  9. field — for sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. drill — the tool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a friend
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cue — a signal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. field — farmland
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mate — to breed
  24. date — the fruit

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