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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. field — for sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. field — a subject
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bass — low music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — farmland
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. toast — bread
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. charge — in control
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. charge — a price

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