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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. field — a subject
  3. shower — to wash
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. field — for sport
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. face — to confront
  8. scale — size or range
  9. field — farmland
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. face — part of the head
  13. prune — to trim
  14. board — to get on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. board — a committee
  20. scale — in music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. face — to point toward
  24. suit — clothes

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