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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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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 · pass · root · present · wave · band · jam · rest

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. pass — a permit
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. field — a subject
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. root — the cause
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rest — a break
  17. field — farmland
  18. band — a music group
  19. present — the time now
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. band — a ring
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. present — there
  24. band — a rubber band

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