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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. present — there
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. field — for sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. field — a subject
  18. hand — help
  19. present — a gift
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — the time now

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