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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. last — finally
  3. present — a gift
  4. field — a subject
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. net — after costs
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — for catching
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rock — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. field — for sport
  17. present — there
  18. field — farmland
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. swing — music
  22. present — the time now
  23. last — to go on
  24. rock — a stone

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