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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pop · field · fan · file · current · fine · band · roll

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fine — all right
  4. current — happening now
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. current — of water
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. band — a music group
  11. field — farmland
  12. pop — soda
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. current — electric
  16. pop — music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. file — a document
  19. fine — high quality
  20. file — a tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pop — to visit
  24. roll — a list

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