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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: cue · season · spell · band · can · bound · chair · field

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. band — a ring
  4. can — a tin
  5. bound — certain
  6. cue — a hint
  7. band — a music group
  8. season — of the year
  9. field — farmland
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. bound — obliged
  13. can — to be able to
  14. spell — a short time
  15. season — in sport
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. field — a subject
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. field — for sport
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bound — tied together

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