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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 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. present — a gift
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. field — a subject
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. band — a music group
  7. field — farmland
  8. present — the time now
  9. track — a song
  10. present — there
  11. club — a group
  12. board — to get on
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. field — for sport
  18. board — a committee
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. track — a path
  21. band — a ring
  22. club — for golf
  23. rush — hurry
  24. track — to keep track

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