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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: ball · arm · leaves · club · present · field · season · wake

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wake — a trail
  3. club — for dancing
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. present — there
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. field — a subject
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. club — for golf
  10. present — the time now
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — a gift
  13. club — a group
  14. field — farmland
  15. season — of the year
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. field — for sport
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — in sport
  24. ball — a great time

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