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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: bound · degree · nail · calf · field · stand · squash · wave

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. degree — an amount
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. field — farmland
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. field — a subject
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — certain
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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