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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. club — for golf
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. club — a group
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. field — farmland
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mark — a grade
  10. tear — to rip
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. field — a subject
  16. bat — the animal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wave — of the sea

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