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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. field — a subject
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bear — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. land — a country
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. press — newspapers
  15. land — to come down
  16. hand — help
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. press — a publisher
  22. land — ground
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hand — in cards

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