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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 · bank · safe · chip · mate · club · rock · bass

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — for sport
  3. club — for dancing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rock — music
  6. field — a subject
  7. club — for golf
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bank — for money
  12. club — a group
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rock — a stone
  16. chip — to eat
  17. field — farmland
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bass — low music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mate — a partner

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