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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pop — music
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spell — a short time
  7. field — a subject
  8. pop — soda
  9. season — in sport
  10. spell — magic
  11. bound — certain
  12. season — of the year
  13. spell — letters
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bound — obliged
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bound — tied together
  18. field — farmland
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. dip — to sink
  24. season — to add flavour

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