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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rest — a break
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. field — farmland
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rock — music
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rock — to move gently

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