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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: toast · wave · nail · degree · field · bound · bass · object

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. object — an aim
  6. degree — an amount
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bound — obliged
  10. object — to protest
  11. bass — the fish
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. object — a thing
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bass — low music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bound — certain

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