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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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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 · jam · rush · present · ball · wave · root · roll

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. present — there
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. present — the time now
  8. field — a subject
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. roll — a cake
  11. field — farmland
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. root — of a plant
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. present — a gift
  19. root — of a word
  20. rush — hurry
  21. root — the cause
  22. roll — a list
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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