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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: suit · mark · field · wave · temple · land · tube · march

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. suit — clothes
  3. field — a subject
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — for sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. field — farmland
  11. mark — a grade
  12. march — the month
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. land — a country
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mark — a trace
  19. land — to come down
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. tube — a container
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. land — ground

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