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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cap — a hat
  4. field — for sport
  5. rock — music
  6. field — a subject
  7. suit — clothes
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. field — farmland
  13. scale — in music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. suit — in cards
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cap — a lid
  24. suit — to fit

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