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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 · bark · tube · swing · roll · wave · bound · rock

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. field — for sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. roll — a list
  6. bark — to shout
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bound — certain
  13. field — farmland
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — to play on
  18. tube — a container
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. field — a subject
  24. rock — music

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