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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: wave · pass · club · chip · bound · bass · bowl · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chip — for betting
  6. club — a group
  7. field — farmland
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. club — for golf
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bound — obliged
  16. field — for sport
  17. bound — certain
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. bowl — to roll

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