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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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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: dip · can · wake · wave · stand · club · kid · field

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. dip — to sink
  3. club — for dancing
  4. field — for sport
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — farmland
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. field — a subject
  14. club — for golf
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. club — a group
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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