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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. prune — to trim
  8. field — farmland
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. rock — music
  12. field — a subject
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. branch — a division
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rock — a stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — in control
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. prune — 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