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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. spring — a coil
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — hurry
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spring — the season
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a trace
  10. march — music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. march — the month
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. spring — of water
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. field — for sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. field — a subject
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. field — farmland
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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