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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — hurry
  10. season — of the year
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. toast — bread
  19. field — a subject
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. field — farmland

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