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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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. object — an aim
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. chest — a box
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. can — a tin

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