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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 116 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: net · pop · field · bank · scale · ball · stand · mug

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pop — soda
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — to visit
  8. net — after costs
  9. stand — to bear
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pop — music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mug — a face
  18. ball — a dance
  19. net — for catching
  20. scale — size or range
  21. net — in sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. scale — in music
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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