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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. rest — a break
  5. rule — a law
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rock — a stone
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — a subject
  11. season — of the year
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — a division
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rule — government
  18. rock — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — the animal
  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