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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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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: ruler · deal · band · swing · tear · cue · field · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cue — a signal
  3. field — a subject
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. swing — music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a ring
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cue — a hint
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — for pool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. field — farmland
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. band — a music group
  23. field — for sport
  24. mark — a grade

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