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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 116 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: suit · field · band · pound · game · track · cabinet · trunk

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. game — wild animals
  6. field — a subject
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. field — farmland
  13. suit — in cards
  14. game — a match
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. track — a song
  19. field — for sport
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a kind of play

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