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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 · pop · sharp · deal · patient · field · ruler · pitcher

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pop — soda
  5. field — farmland
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — for sport
  15. sharp — clever
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. field — a subject
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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