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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: rush · bowl · wave · roll · saw · bark · pitch · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. field — farmland
  7. roll — a list
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. field — a subject
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. saw — the tool

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