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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. field — for sport
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. toast — bread
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. field — a subject
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — a thing
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pop — to visit
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. object — an aim
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. object — to protest
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. field — farmland
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pop — music
  24. season — of the year

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