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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. field — for sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. cue — for pool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. field — farmland
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — a hint
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. swing — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. field — a subject
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. press — a publisher
  24. track — to keep track

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