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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 120 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: cap · field · staff · can · band · plane · temple · pop

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — a subject
  5. staff — a stick
  6. field — farmland
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pop — music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. band — a music group
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. field — for sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. staff — employees
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cap — a hat
  24. staff — employees

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