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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. can — a tin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tube — a container
  10. rest — a break
  11. degree — an amount
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — a subject
  14. key — for a lock
  15. drill — a practice
  16. can — to be able to
  17. degree — temperature
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. field — for sport
  20. drill — army training
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. key — the most important part
  24. field — farmland

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