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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — magic
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. field — for sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — letters
  13. season — in sport
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — of ice
  20. season — of the year
  21. field — a subject
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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