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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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 trace
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mark — a grade
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. field — a subject
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. swing — music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. charge — electricity
  16. field — farmland
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. charge — in control
  19. squash — to crush
  20. field — for sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — a price
  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