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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.

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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: calf · field · pound · fine · squash · march · rush · band

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pound — a weight
  4. band — a music group
  5. march — the month
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. field — farmland
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. march — music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. band — a ring
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. march — the month
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rush — a thrill

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