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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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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: kid · band · toast · pass · mouse · field · bank · fork

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bank — for money
  4. band — a music group
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kid — child
  10. field — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. band — a ring
  13. field — farmland
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. toast — bread
  24. band — a rubber band

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