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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. field — farmland
  7. current — of water
  8. field — a subject
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. current — happening now
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. current — electric

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