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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. field — farmland
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spell — magic
  9. season — of the year
  10. swing — music
  11. field — a subject
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. swing — in golf
  16. scale — in music
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. field — for sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. pop — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fan — a supporter

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