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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: object · band · hide · jam · wave · suit · pitcher · field

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. field — a subject
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. suit — in cards
  8. band — a ring
  9. object — a thing
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. field — farmland
  14. object — an aim
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. field — for sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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