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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: band · fan · bear · field · mate · root · pitch · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. field — a subject
  3. root — the cause
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. band — a music group
  12. mate — a partner
  13. root — of a word
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — farmland
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bass — low music
  20. field — for sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. mate — to breed

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