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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 120 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: drill · band · row · charge · object · bank · field · deal

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. field — a subject
  3. bank — for money
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. bank — of a river
  9. drill — the tool
  10. object — a thing
  11. row — a line
  12. object — an aim
  13. drill — army training
  14. field — farmland
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. row — to paddle
  19. field — for sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. drill — a practice
  22. object — to protest
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bank — for money

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