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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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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: deal · perch · court · present · field · suit · rest · season

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. suit — clothes
  5. season — of the year
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — in sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. present — the time now
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. deal — to handle
  13. suit — to fit
  14. present — a gift
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. present — there
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. court — for sport
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — of law
  23. suit — in cards
  24. season — to add flavour

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