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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: foot · spring · ground · charge · object · band · bear · field

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. spring — the season
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. object — an aim
  7. charge — in control
  8. bear — the animal
  9. field — a subject
  10. object — to protest
  11. spring — of water
  12. charge — electricity
  13. band — a music group
  14. charge — a price
  15. ground — the earth
  16. spring — a coil
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. field — farmland
  21. object — a thing
  22. ground — crushed
  23. field — for sport
  24. band — a ring

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