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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 116 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bass — low music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. field — farmland
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. firm — steady
  7. degree — an amount
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pit — a hole
  10. field — for sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pit — in a race
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — music
  24. firm — a company

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