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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: jam · band · bay · march · field · squash · pop · bark

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. field — for sport
  4. bark — to shout
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pop — music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pop — soda
  14. field — farmland
  15. march — the month
  16. band — a music group
  17. pop — to visit
  18. march — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. jam — in traffic
  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