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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. band — a ring
  2. field — a subject
  3. bank — for money
  4. pop — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. firm — a company
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. field — for sport
  15. pop — to visit
  16. firm — decided
  17. band — a music group
  18. bass — the fish
  19. field — farmland
  20. firm — steady
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pop — soda
  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