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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: ground · racket · mug · fork · land · season · dip · field

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fork — in a road
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. field — a subject
  15. mug — to rob
  16. land — to come down
  17. field — farmland
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ground — a position
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. field — for sport
  22. mug — a cup
  23. season — of the year
  24. fork — to eat with

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