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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · field · kick · wave · bay · date · current · ground

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ground — crushed
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. field — a subject
  5. current — electric
  6. field — farmland
  7. ground — the earth
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ground — a position
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. current — happening now
  13. kick — in football
  14. current — of water
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. field — for sport
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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