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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bear — the animal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. field — for sport
  11. root — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. field — farmland
  15. root — of a word
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. root — the cause
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. club — for golf
  20. dip — to sink
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. club — a group
  24. can — to be able to

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