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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
468
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 · bass · tube · patient · deal · field · jam · toast

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. field — for sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. field — a subject
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. toast — bread
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tube — a container
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bass — the fish
  14. tube — the underground
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. field — farmland

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