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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. field — a subject
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. row — a line
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fine — high quality
  14. field — farmland
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. branch — a division
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. field — for sport
  24. branch — of a bank

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