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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. drill — a practice
  3. season — in sport
  4. suit — to fit
  5. track — a path
  6. drill — army training
  7. season — of the year
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rock — a stone
  12. field — for sport
  13. track — a song
  14. field — a subject
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — the tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lie — to recline
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rock — music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. suit — clothes
  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