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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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468
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: mate · field · bank · pitcher · stand · object · bass · club

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bass — low music
  5. object — to protest
  6. field — for sport
  7. club — a group
  8. field — a subject
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mate — a friend
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bank — of a river
  15. club — for golf
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. field — farmland
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bank — for money
  20. object — a thing
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. object — an aim
  24. bank — for money

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