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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: mine · bay · band · racket · field · squash · roll · rock

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. field — farmland
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. band — a ring
  9. rock — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. roll — a list
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mine — for digging
  17. squash — the sport
  18. band — a music group
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. field — for sport
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. field — a subject

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