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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. season — of the year
  3. field — a subject
  4. cue — a hint
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. march — music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. field — for sport
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cue — a signal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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