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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 116 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
468
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 · field · face · club · bank · scale · pop · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. scale — size or range
  3. field — for sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. face — to confront
  8. field — a subject
  9. bank — for money
  10. pop — soda
  11. face — to point toward
  12. field — farmland
  13. club — a group
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bank — for money
  18. fine — all right
  19. pop — music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. face — part of the head
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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