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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: leaves · rock · bore · track · field · pass · net · season

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pass — a permit
  3. net — in sport
  4. rock — music
  5. net — after costs
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. season — in sport
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bore — to tire
  12. track — a song
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. field — a subject
  18. bore — to drill
  19. track — a path
  20. season — of the year
  21. net — for catching
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. field — farmland

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