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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. field — farmland
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — a subject
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — all right
  12. charge — a price
  13. season — of the year
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. season — in sport
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rest — a break

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