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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. field — a subject
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. field — farmland
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. file — a document
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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