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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 · mouse · mark · safe · file · root · field · chip

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. band — a ring
  4. mark — a trace
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. field — a subject
  15. chip — to eat
  16. root — of a word
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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