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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rock — a stone
  3. field — farmland
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. field — a subject
  11. rock — music
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. race — humankind
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. field — for sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. plane — in geometry

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