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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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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: ball · fan · season · bowl · field · firm · swing · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. field — for sport
  3. season — in sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. firm — a company
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. present — a gift
  12. ball — a great time
  13. present — the time now
  14. field — a subject
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. swing — in golf
  23. field — farmland
  24. bowl — a football final

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