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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · mark · field · suit · scale · cabinet

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. field — for sport
  3. suit — in cards
  4. field — a subject
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mark — a trace
  8. suit — clothes
  9. scale — size or range
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mark — a grade
  14. field — farmland
  15. scale — in music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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