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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rule — a law
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. field — farmland
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. season — in sport
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — a subject
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. season — of the year
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. field — for sport
  24. craft — boats

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