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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — a partner
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mate — to breed
  8. court — of law
  9. squash — to crush
  10. court — of a king
  11. field — farmland
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rule — government
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rule — a law
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — for sport
  23. rule — to rule out
  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