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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: deal · fine · band · net · mate · jam · can · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. net — for catching
  6. field — for sport
  7. band — a ring
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mate — to breed
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — high quality
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fine — all right
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. band — a music group
  19. net — after costs
  20. mate — a partner
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. field — a subject
  24. mate — a friend

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