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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. field — farmland
  4. suit — to fit
  5. field — a subject
  6. rock — music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fork — in a road
  16. band — a ring
  17. mate — to breed
  18. band — a music group
  19. ball — a great time
  20. field — for sport
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. suit — in cards

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