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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. season — of the year
  4. mate — to breed
  5. season — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — farmland
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rest — a break
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. plane — a tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. plane — an aircraft

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