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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — in cards
  3. field — for sport
  4. mark — a trace
  5. can — a tin
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. race — humankind
  8. game — a match
  9. can — a tin
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. season — in sport
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. field — farmland
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mark — a grade
  17. game — wild animals
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. field — a subject
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — of the year
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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