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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mug — a face
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. content — the amount
  8. field — for sport
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mug — a cup
  15. content — happy
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. can — a tin
  18. mug — to rob
  19. field — a subject
  20. can — to be able to
  21. row — a line
  22. season — in sport
  23. content — videos and posts
  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