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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: field · mouse · band · fine · arm · wound · jam · cue

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. field — farmland
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cue — for pool
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. field — for sport
  10. fine — all right
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. field — a subject
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wound — an injury
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. band — a ring
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mouse — the animal

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