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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. field — for sport
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — of a word
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cap — a hat
  15. root — the cause
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bear — the animal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. cap — a lid
  24. root — of a plant

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