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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.

Words on the sheet
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: kid · net · mouse · band · bay · fan · fine · field

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. net — in sport
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. band — a ring
  6. field — a subject
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. field — for sport
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. field — farmland
  15. band — a music group
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. net — after costs
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — for catching
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — all right
  24. band — a rubber band

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