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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. field — for sport
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lie — to recline
  15. field — a subject
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. field — farmland
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. track — a song
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. track — to keep track
  22. club — for golf
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lie — an untruth

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