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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: spell · field · bear · band · racket · suit · deal · bulb

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. field — farmland
  3. spell — letters
  4. suit — to fit
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. suit — clothes
  9. band — a ring
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a music group
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. spell — magic
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. field — a subject
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a rubber band

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