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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. field — a subject
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — of a river
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. foot — a measure
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — farmland
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. field — for sport
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mate — to breed
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. object — a thing
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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