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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. season — of the year
  4. field — a subject
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a ring
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. band — a music group
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. field — farmland
  20. season — in sport
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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