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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. field — for sport
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — a song
  6. season — of the year
  7. present — there
  8. field — farmland
  9. firm — steady
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. field — a subject
  14. track — a path
  15. present — a gift
  16. firm — a company
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — a tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. firm — decided
  22. mark — a grade
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. leaves — lets stay

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