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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bat — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. board — to get on
  11. field — for sport
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stock — goods
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. field — farmland
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bound — obliged
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. stock — shares
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. field — a subject
  24. wave — with your hand

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