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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: mug · bear · field · season · fall · object · prune · mate

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. object — a thing
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. fall — to drop
  8. season — of the year
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a face
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. mate — a friend
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. season — in sport

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