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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: object · arm · field · staff · fine · band · bear · ball

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. object — a thing
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fine — high quality
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fine — all right
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. band — a music group
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. field — for sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. field — a subject
  20. staff — a stick
  21. object — an aim
  22. field — farmland
  23. object — to protest
  24. staff — employees

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