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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
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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: mark · suit · field · kid · bowl · spring · scale · toast

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. field — a subject
  4. mark — a trace
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. kid — to tease
  10. spring — a coil
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. field — farmland
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. spring — the season
  15. kid — child
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. scale — size or range
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spring — of water
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. field — for sport
  24. scale — in music

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