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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: ground · net · swing · season · bay · field · band · rush

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  3. field — for sport
  4. ground — crushed
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. field — a subject
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. net — after costs
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. band — a ring
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. net — in sport
  17. season — in sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. net — for catching
  20. swing — to play on
  21. field — farmland
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. band — a music group
  24. season — of the year

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