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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · band · mouse · field · pit · suit · degree · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a ring
  7. field — a subject
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. field — farmland
  11. suit — to fit
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. band — a music group
  24. suit — clothes

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