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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. season — of the year
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. row — to paddle
  17. deal — to handle
  18. row — a line
  19. field — a subject
  20. bank — of a river
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ball — a great time
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. row — a quarrel

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