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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. degree — from a university
  3. can — a tin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — temperature
  6. object — an aim
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. degree — an amount
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — a gift
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. field — for sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. present — the time now
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — hurry
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. present — there
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. field — a subject

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