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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: squash · rule · tube · wave · pound · field · rock · mark

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. tube — a container
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rock — a stone
  5. field — for sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rock — music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rule — a law
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. squash — the sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rule — government
  21. squash — to crush
  22. field — a subject
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rock — to move gently

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