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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: season · staff · mate · swing · stand · drill · leaves · field

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. staff — a stick
  4. drill — army training
  5. mate — a friend
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stand — to bear
  8. field — for sport
  9. drill — a practice
  10. swing — music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. field — farmland
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. swing — in golf
  16. staff — employees
  17. season — in sport
  18. swing — to play on
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. field — a subject
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mate — a partner
  24. staff — employees

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