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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: field · ruler · deal · game · band · current · can · mug

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. mug — a cup
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. field — for sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. game — wild animals
  10. band — a ring
  11. mug — a face
  12. can — a tin
  13. current — happening now
  14. mug — to rob
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. band — a music group
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. ruler — for measuring

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