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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 124 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: field · bulb · swing · mate · can · fork · season · track

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — to breed
  5. season — in sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fork — in a road
  8. swing — in golf
  9. field — farmland
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mate — a friend
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — a subject
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — for sport
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. track — a song
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. track — a path
  22. season — of the year
  23. swing — music
  24. mate — a partner

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