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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. season — in sport
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. field — for sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. field — farmland
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. field — a subject
  24. branch — a division

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