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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — a division
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. field — farmland
  7. degree — from a university
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. field — a subject
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. land — ground
  19. can — to be able to
  20. degree — temperature
  21. land — a country
  22. field — for sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. land — to come down

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