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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
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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: stick · bay · band · pop · mine · current · field · saw

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — farmland
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. current — happening now
  12. band — a ring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. current — electric
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. field — for sport
  19. pop — music
  20. band — a music group
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. current — of water
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — a subject

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