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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. band — a music group
  6. field — a subject
  7. suit — clothes
  8. field — for sport
  9. ball — a great time
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chest — a box
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. content — happy
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. suit — to fit
  22. content — the amount
  23. field — farmland
  24. deal — an agreement

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