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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: branch · field · suit · can · date · rush · game · mark

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mark — a grade
  4. field — a subject
  5. game — a match
  6. suit — to fit
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — clothes
  12. field — farmland
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — hurry
  19. date — the fruit
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. field — for sport
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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