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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
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 · fan · can · bat · mug · field · bank · bass

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. fine — all right
  8. can — a tin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bank — for money
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. can — to be able to
  16. field — for sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mug — to rob
  20. field — farmland
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bass — the fish
  23. field — a subject
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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