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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · present · season · pit · club · degree · bulb · field

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. field — farmland
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. field — for sport
  5. fine — high quality
  6. present — the time now
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pit — a hole
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. present — a gift
  13. pit — in a race
  14. field — a subject
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — for golf
  18. season — of the year
  19. present — there
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — in sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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