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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 116 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
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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: band · leaves · bay · field · spring · firm · pound · shower

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. spring — of water
  4. firm — decided
  5. field — for sport
  6. shower — rain
  7. spring — the season
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. field — farmland
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. field — a subject
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. band — a ring
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pound — a weight
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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