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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 120 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. field — farmland
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — letters
  11. season — in sport
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. spell — magic
  20. field — a subject
  21. cap — a hat
  22. season — of the year
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. field — for sport

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