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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — army training
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rest — a break
  8. wake — a trail
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. drill — the tool
  24. field — farmland

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