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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: pitcher · present · field · wave · race · mark · bulb · wake

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wake — a trail
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. race — a contest
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. present — a gift
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. present — the time now
  21. field — farmland
  22. present — there
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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