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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 · bark · suit · pop · rest · can · field · date

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — music
  3. field — for sport
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cue — for pool
  8. suit — to fit
  9. date — the fruit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — to visit
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bark — to shout
  14. can — a tin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. field — farmland
  20. pop — soda
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. field — a subject
  23. rest — a break
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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