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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mark · content · racket · club · field · squash · season · drill

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mark — a trace
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — a grade
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — in sport
  9. drill — the tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. squash — to crush
  14. drill — a practice
  15. field — for sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. content — happy
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. drill — army training
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mark — to pay attention

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