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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · season · cabinet · bound · band · rash · field · track

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — in sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a music group
  7. field — for sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — to keep track
  10. season — of the year
  11. track — a path
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bound — certain
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. field — farmland
  17. track — a song
  18. fine — all right
  19. bound — tied together
  20. field — a subject
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rash — hasty
  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