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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. club — for golf
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. field — a subject
  10. lean — thin
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. present — a gift
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — farmland
  16. lean — to bend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. field — for sport
  20. club — a group
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. present — there
  24. track — a song

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