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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: cue · suit · season · spell · ruler · bulb · pitch · field

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. season — of the year
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — magic
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. suit — clothes
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitch — completely
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. field — farmland
  13. cue — a signal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — for pool
  18. field — a subject
  19. cue — a hint
  20. season — in sport
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pitch — a sports field

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