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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: bank · rush · bass · scale · band · field · jam · bowl

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. band — a music group
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. band — a ring
  8. field — farmland
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bank — of a river
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. field — for sport
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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