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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: key · band · rule · squash · field · racket · season · bowl

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rule — a law
  6. season — of the year
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rule — government
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. key — in music
  11. field — a subject
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. band — a ring
  14. key — for a lock
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. squash — the sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. field — for sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — the most important part
  23. season — in sport
  24. band — a music group

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