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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: net · patient · roll · deal · jam · bass · bay · field

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. field — farmland
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bass — the fish
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. field — for sport
  7. net — in sport
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. roll — a list
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — after costs
  17. field — a subject
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. roll — a cake
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bass — low music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. net — for catching

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