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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. season — of the year
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stand — to bear
  12. field — farmland
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rush — hurry
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mate — a partner
  24. chair — a professorship

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