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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: fork · lie · suit · pitcher · band · bass · ball · field

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bass — the fish
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. field — a subject
  8. lie — to recline
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. field — farmland
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — low music
  19. field — for sport
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a ring

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