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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: racket · pound · bank · field · cap · rock · scale · bay

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. scale — in music

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