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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. season — of the year
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. present — the time now
  5. degree — temperature
  6. track — a path
  7. field — for sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. field — a subject
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. clip — for paper
  14. track — to keep track
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. pass — a permit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. track — a song
  20. present — there
  21. degree — from a university
  22. season — in sport
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. field — farmland

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