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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: wound · prune · field · ball · suit · band · coach · scale

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. suit — clothes
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. field — for sport
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. prune — to trim
  7. scale — in music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. field — farmland
  10. band — a music group
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. prune — to trim
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. field — a subject
  19. band — a ring
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ball — a dance
  23. suit — to fit
  24. coach — a trainer

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