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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — certain
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. field — a subject
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — for sport
  13. fine — all right
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — obliged
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. field — farmland
  19. swing — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. staff — employees
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bound — tied together
  24. staff — a stick

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