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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mate — a friend
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. field — a subject
  12. mate — to breed
  13. firm — decided
  14. pass — a permit
  15. field — farmland
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pass — to succeed

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