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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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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 · rush · rest · board · bat · field · bowl · wave

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. field — a subject
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rush — hurry
  12. board — to get on
  13. field — farmland
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rest — a break
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rush — to hurry

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