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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · sharp · rule · bore · content · wave · rock · season

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. field — for sport
  4. bore — to drill
  5. field — farmland
  6. season — in sport
  7. content — happy
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. season — of the year
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. field — a subject
  17. rule — government
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rule — a law
  23. content — the amount
  24. bore — to tire

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