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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — a song
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. game — wild animals
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. season — of the year
  12. game — a match
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. track — a path
  16. field — for sport
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. field — a subject
  24. ruler — a monarch

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