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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. field — a subject
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. field — for sport
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. present — there
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. present — a gift
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. field — farmland
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. present — the time now
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rush — hurry

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