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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · wind · suit · foot · scale · rule · spell · ground

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. field — farmland
  4. foot — a measure
  5. spell — magic
  6. ground — crushed
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wind — moving air
  9. scale — size or range
  10. suit — to fit
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ground — a position
  14. rule — government
  15. suit — clothes
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. field — for sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rule — a law
  24. field — a subject

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