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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 120 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 · sharp · band · rest · field · ruler · game · can

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — wild animals
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rest — what's left
  6. sharp — clever
  7. suit — in cards
  8. band — a ring
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — farmland
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. suit — to fit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. field — for sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. suit — clothes
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. band — a music group
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — a match

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