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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 116 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. season — in sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. field — for sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. field — farmland
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. season — of the year
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. field — a subject
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pass — a permit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — help
  18. spring — a coil
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spring — of water
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mark — a grade

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