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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: band · bear · suit · saw · pop · mug · field · rest

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — in cards
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pop — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. field — farmland
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rest — a break
  15. mug — a face
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. field — for sport
  24. suit — clothes

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