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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. field — farmland
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. field — for sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. track — a path
  8. bank — of a river
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. field — a subject
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. season — in sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rest — a break
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. season — of the year

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