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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: pass · season · mouse · object · field · club · pound · tear

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. field — farmland
  3. tear — to rip
  4. season — in sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. object — an aim
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. object — to protest
  13. season — of the year
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. tear — from crying
  24. club — for dancing

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