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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ground — the earth
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. field — for sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mark — a grade
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cap — of ice
  16. field — a subject
  17. season — of the year
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ground — crushed
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ground — a position
  23. mark — a trace
  24. season — in sport

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