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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.

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: season · track · club · rock · perch · pass · field · wave

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. field — for sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. track — a path
  7. field — a subject
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. field — farmland
  12. rock — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rock — a stone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. track — a song
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. season — in sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. club — for golf
  24. pass — a permit

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