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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ball — a great time
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. suit — in cards
  7. field — for sport
  8. suit — clothes
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. ball — a dance
  11. file — a document
  12. mark — a trace
  13. season — of the year
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. suit — to fit
  18. file — a tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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