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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: field · wave · object · clip · bass · bay · club · row

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. object — an aim
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. field — a subject
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. club — for golf
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. object — a thing
  16. row — a line
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. field — for sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. club — a group
  21. clip — a video
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. object — to protest
  24. club — for dancing

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