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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: can · fine · band · deal · field · bowl · sharp · bound

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fine — high quality
  4. deal — to handle
  5. can — to be able to
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bound — certain
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. field — farmland
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. band — a ring
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bound — obliged
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bound — tied together
  24. band — a music group

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