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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.

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: bark · pass · field · can · fan · band · race · safe

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. race — a contest
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — a subject
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. race — humankind
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — a permit
  9. field — for sport
  10. bark — to shout
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. band — a ring
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. field — farmland
  24. fan — a supporter

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