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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. field — a subject
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — of the year
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. season — in sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. branch — a division
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. squash — to crush

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