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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 120 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: band · field · fine · degree · rest · face · can · rock

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. field — a subject
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. band — a music group
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. field — for sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — to confront
  11. field — farmland
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. band — a ring
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rock — music
  18. rest — a break
  19. face — part of the head
  20. degree — an amount
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fine — all right
  23. degree — temperature
  24. face — to point toward

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