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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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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bank — of a river
  3. field — for sport
  4. band — a ring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. bank — for money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. craft — boats
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. band — a music group
  16. bear — the animal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bank — for money
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. jam — in traffic

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