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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.

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: track · field · rest · season · bowl · swing · hide · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. field — farmland
  4. swing — music
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. season — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. track — a song
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — in golf
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — to keep track
  16. field — a subject
  17. rest — a break
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — a path
  23. field — for sport
  24. season — of the year

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