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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: object · tube · pitcher · suit · lash · field · roll · bound

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tube — a container
  6. object — a thing
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bound — tied together
  11. field — farmland
  12. bound — certain
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — clothes
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — an aim
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — obliged
  21. roll — a list
  22. object — to protest
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lash — to lash out

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