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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: content · net · pound · stem · rule · roll · wave · field

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. field — a subject
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. net — after costs
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. field — for sport
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. roll — a list
  10. pound — a weight
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. net — in sport
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rule — a law
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. net — for catching
  20. content — happy
  21. stem — to come from
  22. field — farmland
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rule — government

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