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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. field — farmland
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pop — music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. field — for sport
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. current — electric
  14. season — in sport
  15. pop — soda
  16. fine — all right
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ground — the earth
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. season — of the year
  21. field — a subject
  22. ground — a position
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ground — crushed

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