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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. field — a subject
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pound — a weight
  9. field — for sport
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bear — the animal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fork — in a road
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. degree — an amount
  24. field — farmland

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