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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.

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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: field · dip · rock · mug · board · trunk · band · bank

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. field — for sport
  4. band — a ring
  5. dip — to sink
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. board — to get on
  12. field — farmland
  13. band — a music group
  14. board — a committee
  15. mug — a face
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. field — a subject
  20. mug — a cup
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rock — a stone

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