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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rock — a stone
  7. field — farmland
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stock — shares
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stock — goods
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. field — for sport
  24. leaves — of a tree

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