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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 124 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. field — farmland
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — for sport
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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