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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. firm — decided
  7. deal — to handle
  8. firm — a company
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. field — for sport
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rash — a series
  15. season — of the year
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. track — a path
  18. suit — to fit
  19. firm — steady
  20. field — a subject
  21. mine — for digging
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rash — hasty
  24. season — in sport

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