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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. club — a group
  3. field — farmland
  4. club — for dancing
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. foot — a measure
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. club — for golf
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lean — thin
  17. degree — an amount
  18. field — a subject
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. season — of the year
  21. lean — to bend
  22. field — for sport
  23. straw — dry grass
  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