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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. field — a subject
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — a tool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. band — a ring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. field — farmland
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. band — a music group
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bat — the animal
  20. march — music
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. suit — to fit
  24. board — a flat piece

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