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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. field — farmland
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. net — in sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pound — a weight
  7. field — a subject
  8. net — after costs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. field — for sport
  14. pit — in a race
  15. net — for catching
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. pit — a hole
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — of the sea

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