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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: hide · can · last · band · calf · mug · field · scale

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. band — a ring
  3. scale — in music
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. field — a subject
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mug — a face
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — to rob
  14. field — farmland
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — finally
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. band — a music group
  22. last — final
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. scale — size or range

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