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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. field — a subject
  3. track — a path
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. bass — low music
  8. track — a song
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mine — for digging
  11. staff — a stick
  12. field — for sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — size or range
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. field — farmland
  19. track — to keep track
  20. staff — employees
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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