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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wake — a trail
  11. suit — clothes
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. game — wild animals
  15. field — farmland
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. foot — a measure
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. suit — to fit

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