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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: band · bore · jam · rash · patient · stand · club · field

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. field — a subject
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bore — to drill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. field — farmland
  10. bore — to tire
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. club — for golf
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. band — a music group
  15. rash — hasty
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. field — for sport
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. band — a ring
  24. club — a group

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