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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lean — to bend
  5. ball — a great time
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mark — a grade
  8. club — a group
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. club — for dancing
  14. field — farmland
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. club — for golf
  21. field — for sport
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. field — a subject
  24. lean — thin

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