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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. drill — a practice
  3. kick — in football
  4. field — for sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. season — in sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. present — there
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. field — farmland
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. mate — to breed
  15. drill — army training
  16. field — a subject
  17. mate — a friend
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mate — a partner
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — of the year
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. content — happy
  24. drill — the tool

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