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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: field · branch · jam · rock · can · spell · band · nail

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. can — a tin
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rock — a stone
  5. band — a music group
  6. field — for sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. spell — letters
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. spell — magic
  13. field — a subject
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. field — farmland
  16. branch — a division
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a ring
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. nail — for a hammer

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