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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. rush — hurry
  4. season — of the year
  5. bound — certain
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. season — in sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — obliged
  12. field — a subject
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bank — for money
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — tied together

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