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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. can — a tin
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. field — a subject
  5. mate — a friend
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bound — certain
  10. field — for sport
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bound — obliged
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bass — the fish
  19. cue — a signal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mate — a partner
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — a hint

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