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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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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: bank · rest · pound · mate · content · tube · wave · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bank — for money
  6. pound — a weight
  7. tube — a container
  8. rest — a break
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bank — of a river
  12. content — the amount
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — farmland
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mate — a partner
  23. field — for sport
  24. content — happy

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