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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 120 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: scale · wave · ground · field · bass · nail · rock · shower

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bass — low music
  6. shower — rain
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. shower — to wash
  18. scale — in music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. field — for sport
  24. ground — a position

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