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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stem — to come from
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. field — farmland
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. field — for sport
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. sharp — clever
  14. season — of the year
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. content — the amount
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. content — happy
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. field — a subject
  23. net — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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