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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pit — a hole
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. rule — a law
  6. field — a subject
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. bank — for money
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. field — farmland
  12. charge — a price
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lean — thin
  16. bank — for money
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pit — in a race
  21. field — for sport
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. scale — in music
  24. lean — to bend

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