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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · track · stick · ground · season · hide · present · swing

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. field — for sport
  7. swing — to play on
  8. present — there
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ground — crushed
  12. season — in sport
  13. track — a path
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. track — a song
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. swing — music
  21. season — of the year
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ground — a position

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