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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. swing — music
  6. spell — a short time
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spell — magic
  13. field — farmland
  14. craft — a skill
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spell — letters
  18. bank — for money
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitch — a sports field

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