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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. field — a subject
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. field — for sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. bass — low music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. bass — the fish
  17. branch — a division
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bass — the instrument

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