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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. march — music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. suit — to fit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. suit — clothes
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — a subject
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — farmland
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. charge — in control
  18. march — the month
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. suit — in cards
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — a price
  24. racket — a loud noise

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