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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fall — to drop
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. bass — low music
  6. present — the time now
  7. fall — the season
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. field — a subject
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right

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