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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
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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 · rash · wave · rock · scale · mouse · jam · foot

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rash — a series
  4. field — farmland
  5. scale — in music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. foot — a measure
  8. scale — size or range
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rash — hasty
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rock — music
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mouse — the animal

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