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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · field · bass · bear · fork · mine · cue · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cue — a hint
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cue — for pool
  10. field — for sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. field — farmland
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bass — the fish
  23. field — a subject
  24. fork — to eat with

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