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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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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: suit · spell · mug · band · stock · season · wound · nail

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a music group
  4. mug — a face
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. spell — a short time
  7. band — a ring
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stock — shares
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — of the year
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. spell — letters
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spell — magic
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — goods
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — to rob
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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