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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. object — a thing
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. field — a subject
  6. date — the fruit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. object — an aim
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. field — farmland
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. object — to protest
  21. rock — music
  22. field — for sport
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. deal — to handle

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