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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. face — to point toward
  3. net — for catching
  4. field — for sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. prune — to trim
  8. net — in sport
  9. face — part of the head
  10. scale — size or range
  11. face — to confront
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — a subject
  16. suit — in cards
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. field — farmland
  23. suit — to fit
  24. scale — in music

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