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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: field · tube · bass · bay · capital · craft · wave · stem

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. field — a subject
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. capital — money
  16. bass — low music
  17. field — farmland
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. capital — a city
  21. craft — boats
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. tube — the underground
  24. field — for sport

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