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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: spell · drill · stock · racket · sharp · mug · band · field

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. sharp — clever
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. drill — army training
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. spell — letters
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stock — goods
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. band — a ring
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mug — a cup
  19. drill — a practice
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — magic
  23. field — farmland
  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