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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 124 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rule — a law
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bound — tied together
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a great time
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. bound — obliged
  13. squash — the sport
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bound — certain
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. field — for sport
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. suit — to fit
  21. field — a subject
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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