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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. field — farmland
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — for sport
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chip — for betting
  15. band — a music group
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. band — a ring
  18. pop — soda
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — a subject
  23. pop — music
  24. stand — for spectators

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