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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — government
  9. tear — from crying
  10. field — a subject
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. field — farmland
  13. can — a tin
  14. tear — to rip
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rule — a law
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pound — a weight
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — in sport

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