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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. field — farmland
  3. suit — to fit
  4. degree — from a university
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. firm — decided
  9. degree — an amount
  10. file — a document
  11. firm — steady
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. firm — a company
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. field — a subject
  18. rash — a series
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. field — for sport
  21. rash — hasty
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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