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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 116 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: wave · land · row · bulb · field · ruler · band · kick

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kick — in football
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. row — a line
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. land — ground
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. land — a country
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. field — for sport
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. land — to come down
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. band — a music group
  22. row — to paddle
  23. field — farmland
  24. bulb — for light

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