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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. track — a path
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hand — in cards
  8. field — a subject
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. field — farmland
  11. hand — help
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. field — for sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. track — a song
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — all right

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