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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. field — farmland
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. present — a gift
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. present — there
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. foot — a measure
  12. suit — clothes
  13. season — of the year
  14. present — the time now
  15. field — a subject
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. suit — in cards
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — in sport
  21. band — a music group
  22. field — for sport
  23. roll — a cake
  24. suit — to fit

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