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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. suit — to fit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — there
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. present — a gift
  11. mate — to breed
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fall — the season
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fall — to drop
  20. present — the time now
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — a friend
  23. field — for sport
  24. mate — a partner

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