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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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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 · mug · track · field · jam · pound · fall · bay

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. track — a song
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fall — to drop
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pound — a weight
  12. band — a music group
  13. mug — to rob
  14. track — to keep track
  15. field — for sport
  16. track — a path
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. mug — a face
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fall — the season
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. band — a ring

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