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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 120 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: tube · calf · wake · bass · board · fine · pop · field

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. field — a subject
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bass — low music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fine — all right
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tube — a container
  13. field — for sport
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. board — a committee
  17. pop — soda
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. field — farmland
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bass — the instrument

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