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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: cue · spell · band · season · craft · field · rush · board

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cue — for pool
  3. band — a ring
  4. craft — boats
  5. spell — magic
  6. cue — a signal
  7. band — a music group
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. board — to get on
  10. season — of the year
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. season — in sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. field — farmland
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rush — hurry
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cue — a hint
  21. board — a committee
  22. spell — letters
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. field — for sport

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