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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: wave · field · club · lean · mate · pop · pit · tube

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. club — for golf
  8. field — for sport
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pit — in a race
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. club — a group
  13. field — a subject
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pop — music
  19. lean — thin
  20. field — farmland
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tube — a container

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