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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: game · pass · ground · band · track · bay · field · wave

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. field — farmland
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — a subject
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — a permit
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. field — for sport
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. game — a match
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ground — a position
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pass — to spend time

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