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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: staff · firm · deal · field · bass · band · sharp · cabinet

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. field — a subject
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. firm — steady
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — a company
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a ring
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. staff — a stick
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. field — farmland
  16. staff — employees
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. band — a music group
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. field — for sport
  24. deal — to handle

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