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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: ball · mouse · wave · rest · date · row · field · fine

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. field — farmland
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fine — all right
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. field — for sport
  23. fine — high quality
  24. field — a subject

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