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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: field · chip · root · ball · band · fine · mark · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. field — for sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. field — a subject
  6. chip — for betting
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. field — farmland
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chip — to eat
  23. root — the cause
  24. band — a ring

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