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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. field — for sport
  5. drill — the tool
  6. charge — a price
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hand — help
  13. drill — a practice
  14. charge — in control
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. field — farmland
  20. rush — hurry
  21. deal — to handle
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. drill — army training
  24. hand — in cards

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