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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. field — for sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. root — the cause
  15. wind — moving air
  16. field — farmland
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — of a word
  23. field — a subject
  24. season — in sport

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