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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. present — a gift
  5. object — to protest
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. field — farmland
  8. fine — all right
  9. field — a subject
  10. fine — high quality
  11. object — a thing
  12. present — there
  13. rule — government
  14. field — for sport
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. present — the time now
  18. fine — a penalty

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